Terezi: Enter Can Town
by chaosattractor
Summary: After a year of traveling, life on the Veil asteroid has settled into a routine for Dave and Terezi. That is, until the latest dream bubble episode turned everything on its head for Dave. When Terezi can't locate him, she makes an adventurous quest through Can Town to find him.
1. Terezi: Enter Can Town

You turn the corner and enter Can Town. It fills this whole room wall to wall by now. The Mayor is working diligently in one corner. As soon as he catches sight of you, he jumps to his feet and scurries over. You slow down reluctantly. He's pretty down about losing his pet firefly, so you suppose the least you can do is indulge him a little bit.

TEREZI: H1 TH3R3

The Mayor grabs your hand and points excitedly to where he has been drawing.

TEREZI: YOU H4V3 SOM3TH1NG N3W YOU W4NT TO SHOW M3?

He nods and tugs at your hand.

TEREZI: OK4Y  
TEREZI: 1M K1ND OF 1N 4 HURRY BUT 1 GU3SS 1 C4N W41T 4 M1NUT3

The Mayor leads you to the wall. You kneel down and sniff out the changes. It seems he has added a river and a few public parks to this part of town.

TEREZI: GOOD TH1NK1NG  
TEREZI: NOW TH3 C4NS W1LL H4V3 PL3NTY OF FR3SH W4T3R  
TEREZI: 1TS 4 T4STY SH4D3 OF BLU3, TOO  
TEREZI: H3H3H3

The mayor preens at your compliments.

TEREZI: BUT S3R1OUSLY  
TEREZI: 1 4M 1N 4 HURRY  
TEREZI: H4V3 YOU S33N D4V3?  
TEREZI: 1 H4V3 B33N LOOK1NG 4LL OV3R FOR H1M  
TEREZI: H3 SUR3 H4S B33N 3LUS1V3 L4T3LY  
TEREZI: :/  
TEREZI: 1M ST4RT1NG TO TH1NK H3S DO1NG 1T ON PURPOS3  
TEREZI: 4NYW4Y, H4V3 YOU S33N H1M?

The mayor brings one claw to his mouth and thinks hard. After a minute, he nods.

TEREZI: H4!  
TEREZI: 1 THOUGHT SO  
TEREZI: W4S TH4T R3C3NTLY?

The Mayor thinks a little more and starts to get agitated. He holds up his hands in confusion. You hastily amend your question.

TEREZI: 1 M34N  
TEREZI: W4S TH4T TOD4Y?

The Mayor twitches for a few seconds and then clutches his head with both hands. You realize you have overtaxed his understanding of time. Truth be told, you're not even sure he knows how long a day is.

TEREZI: :/  
TEREZI: W3LL TH4NKS 4NYW4Y  
TEREZI: 1LL JUST GO LOOK FOR H1M MYS3LF  
TEREZI: H3S BOUND TO B3 1N H3R3 SOM3WH3R3

You leave the Mayor to his work and begin the trek through Can Town. You pass the crude city blocks, industrial districts, chalked rivers and roads that make up the first room. You are careful to keep to the walkways. Dave drew them in red chalk during the first few weeks of the Can Town Project, after you tripped on some new construction and unwittingly laid waste to an entire neighborhood. You have never seen the Mayor so upset.

Some days, you stop and taste some of the walkway lines. The red chalk is just so tasty. Dave always redraws them and makes sure they're bright and visible. Today, though, most of the walkway lines are in smeared disrepair. It's not like him to let it get this way.

You also have no urge to pause and put the last few bits of delicious cherry chalk out of their misery. And that's not like you.

You cross through the first room of Can Town and into the next. This room has the Can Town Outpost and Can Town Militia in it. On the far side is Can River City, which has actual water flowing through its channels. That took weeks of dedicated effort to set that up properly.

You go into a new room, and here is the more advanced Can City that reaches as high as your shoulders. The Mayor never comes back this far. This is territory that belongs to you and Dave only.

Beyond that, you pass underneath the Can Arch and the Can Eiffel Tower and into the part of Can Town that doesn't actually have any cans in it. There's the reconstruction of your tree, and then the slice of the human city where Dave grew up in a strange lawnring called "apartment" that had a bunch of other humans in it living literally right on top of each other. According to him, thousands upon thousands of humans lived in that city packed together as tightly as grubs in a grubhive, and somehow it worked. It smelled like truth when he said it, but you're still not sure you believe it. Look at the havoc that happened when you and just eleven other trolls got together. And you twelve were all friends, more or less. You can't even conceive of a gathering of thousands.

Human culture never stops being bizarre to you.

The next room is the Color Room, and it's your absolute favorite. It's filled wall to wall and floor to ceiling with drawings that you and Dave made together. Every scent in the rainbow is in here somewhere.

After that, there is only one more place to go. The final room.

The Void Room.

You used to call it the Star Room. One of the walls is open to the surface of the asteroid, and so it used to be full of stars. But the stars have appeared less and less often as your journey progresses. In their place, you might find anything – visions of the past, strange worlds you have never smelled before, fantastic images you can't make any sense of. But these days, it is just as likely to show a stark, unadulterated view of the horrorterrors of the Outer Ring as anything else.

This room makes you nervous. Sometimes you can control what you see in it, sometimes not. You usually do not venture in without Dave. You really hope that he's in there.

You take a deep breath and walk through the doorway.


	2. part 2

_A/N: I cannot figure out how to get this website to display the greater than symbol for Terezi's emotes. If you know a way, please drop me a line and I'll fix it! Thanks!_

* * *

The world vanishes. No scent, no sound, nothing your senses can pick up on. It's the Void all right. You reach back and grope for the edge of the doorway just to make sure it's still there. The layout of this room has been known to change on you unexpectedly.

TEREZI: D4V3?  
TEREZI: D4V3!  
TEREZI: 4R3 YOU 1N H3R3?

Ringing silence. But you think you catch a whiff of strawberry.

You set out from the wall very slowly, using your walking cane to probe the ground in front of you.

TEREZI: D4V3?  
TEREZI: WH3R3 4R3 YOU?  
TEREZI: 4ND WHY 4R3 YOU H4NG1NG OUT 1N TH3 VO1D?  
TEREZI: 4R3 YOU STUDY1NG HORRORT3RRORS FOR ROS3 OR SOM3TH1NG?  
TEREZI: D44444V3  
TEREZI: 1 KNOW YOUR3 1N H3R3  
TEREZI: WHY 4R3NT YOU 4NSW3R1NG?  
TEREZI: TH1S WOULD B3 4 WHOL3 LOT 34S13R 1F YOU JUST 4NSW3R3D M3!  
TEREZI: XO  
TEREZI: D4V3!

Now you are really getting nervous. You've lost track of the way out and Dave's scent is still no more than the faintest trace on the wind of the Void. You wonder just how big this room can get.

TEREZI: H3Y COOL K1D  
TEREZI: 4R3 YOU OK4Y?  
TEREZI: D4V3 4R3 YOU HURT?

The scent of strawberry candy gets stronger. You start walking faster, and then faster yet, and very soon you are moving recklessly fast.

TEREZI: D4V3!  
TEREZI: D4 –

Your cane catches on something, and a second later you trip over it and go sprawling on your face.

DAVE: ow jesus  
DAVE: what the hell  
TEREZI: D4V3!  
TEREZI: 4R3 YOU OK4Y?  
DAVE: well i was  
DAVE: until this clumsy troll girl ran over me  
DAVE: now im all bruised and shit  
TEREZI: :/  
TEREZI: W3LL YOU W3R3NT 4NSW3R1NG  
TEREZI: 1 D1DNT KNOW WH3R3 YOU W3R3!  
DAVE: yeah ok  
DAVE: so i guess running around till you stepped on me was the best way to deal with that  
DAVE: i can see that now  
DAVE: it makes perfect sense  
DAVE: especially since you can smell me from like  
DAVE: the next room or whatever  
TEREZI: :[  
TEREZI: V3RY FUNNY SM4RT4SS  
TEREZI: 1T DO3SNT WORK W3LL 1N H3R3  
TEREZI: YOU KNOW TH4T  
TEREZI: TH3 VO1D W1ND T4K3S 4W4Y SM3LLS  
TEREZI: 3V3N YOURS  
TEREZI: 3V3N 4T TH1S D1ST4NC3  
DAVE: yeah i still don't know about this void wind thing  
DAVE: it kind of sounds like bullshit  
DAVE: the air seems totally still to me  
DAVE: like  
DAVE: a still thing thats really still  
TEREZI: :?  
TEREZI: WH4T?

This isn't right. You don't need a keen sense of smell to tell you that his blood pusher is not in it at all.

TEREZI: TH4TS TH3 L4M3ST COMP4R1SON 1V3 3V3R H34RD D4V3  
DAVE: well i guess that just makes me a lame guy then  
DAVE: no more cool kid here  
DAVE: time to break the sad news to the world  
DAVE: all the cool kids are gone  
DAVE: world youre going to have to make to do with nothing but pathetic assholes from now on  
TEREZI: :/

By now you have righted yourself and located your walking cane. You are sitting on your knees and facing Dave. You think he is close by. You can hear him perfectly fine, but sound is strangely uncertain without scent to back it up. You think he is lying down in front of you, but you can't be sure. You hold one hand out in front of you and inch forward.

TEREZI: D1D YOU R34LLY JUST C4LL YOURS3LF 4 P4TH3T1C 4SSHOL3?  
DAVE: no  
TEREZI: :[  
TEREZI: 1 TH1NK YOU D1D  
TEREZI: WH4TS WRONG W1TH YOU  
TEREZI: YOU SOUND L1K3 K4RK4T  
DAVE: ha  
TEREZI: 4ND YOUR3 H4NG1NG OUT 1N TH3 VO1D L1K3 A W31RDO  
TEREZI: SO WH4TS WRONG  
DAVE: nothing  
TEREZI: 1 DONT B3L13V3 YOU

Your hand finally encounters Dave's shoulder. He immediately vanishes.

TEREZI: BL4444R  
TEREZI: NOW 1 H4V3 TO F1ND YOU 4G41N!  
TEREZI: :[  
DAVE: jesus  
DAVE: look  
DAVE: maybe i just came out here to think  
DAVE: and be alone  
DAVE: did that ever occur to you  
TEREZI: NO  
TEREZI: :P  
DAVE: well it should  
DAVE: but instead you probably walked all over this stupid asteroid looking for me  
DAVE: didnt you  
DAVE: even my room  
DAVE: god damn  
DAVE: did you go through my room  
TEREZI: OF COURS3 :]  
TEREZI: TH4TS TH3 F1RST PL4C3 1 CH3CK3D 4FT3R TH3 DR34M BUBBL3 W3NT 4W4Y 4ND YOU V4N1SH3D  
DAVE: what  
DAVE: are you serious  
DAVE: i cant believe you actually snooped through my room while i wasnt even there  
DAVE: i mean i realize im basically the coolest guy youve ever met and that its probably like physically painful for you to be away from me  
DAVE: but still  
DAVE: you dont just go through someones room  
DAVE: how many times do i have to tell you this  
DAVE: did you mess with my stuff  
DAVE: tell me you didnt mess with my stuff  
TEREZI: M44444YB3  
TEREZI: 4 L1TTL3  
TEREZI: 1 M4Y H4V3 L1CK3D 4 F3W TH1NGS  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
DAVE: ok wow  
DAVE: thats pretty fucked up  
DAVE: youve officially crossed the line into creepy stalker territory  
DAVE: just so you know  
TEREZI: BUT TH3Y W3R3 SO D3L1C1OUS  
TEREZI: 1 COULDNT H3LP MYS3LF  
TEREZI: 3V3RYTH1NG 1N YOUR ROOM T4ST3S L1K3 STR4WB3RRY C4NDY  
TEREZI: 4ND L1K3 YOU  
TEREZI: ;]  
DAVE: wow  
DAVE: ok  
DAVE: you know what would be great  
DAVE: if you went ahead and just never said anything that weird again  
DAVE: k thanks


	3. part 3

He's sitting down near you, you're sure of it now. The Void wind has calmed, and you're starting to pick up scents that are more than fleeting. Dave's agitation is an acrid tang at the back of your throat. As unnerving as this room is for you, you know it is far worse for him. He can actually see the horrorterrors above.

You don't try to approach him again. He can see you just fine, and he'd already be sitting by you if he weren't being deliberately evasive. Instead, you sit down and pull out your box of chalk. You never come into Can Town without it. You select the stick of red and begin to sketch.

TEREZI: HMMMM  
TEREZI: L3T M3 GU3SS  
TEREZI: TH1S MUST H4V3 TO DO W1TH YOUR HUM4N BRO  
TEREZI: 4M 1 R1GHT?  
DAVE: huh  
DAVE: what has to do with him  
DAVE: what are you even talking about  
TEREZI: 1M T4LK1NG 4BOUT YOUR B4D MOOD  
TEREZI: 4ND WHY YOU 4R3 OUT H3R3 1N TH3 VO1D 3V3N THOUGH YOU H4T3 1T  
TEREZI: 1TS B3C4US3 W3 S4W YOUR HUM4N BRO 1N TH3 DR34M BUBBL3 1SNT 1T?  
DAVE: what bad mood  
DAVE: my mood is chill  
DAVE: im just hanging out like cool guys do  
DAVE: chillin and shit  
DAVE: or at least i was till you showed up and harshed my chill  
DAVE: now im going to have to get a fresh chill on from scratch  
DAVE: look at all that chill time wasted  
DAVE: wasted like i just dropped some sick rhymes on its ass  
DAVE: oh snap  
TEREZI: :Y  
TEREZI: D4V3  
TEREZI: 1 C4N SM3LL L13S R3M3MB3R?  
TEREZI: YOUR D3C31T ST1NKS : [  
TEREZI: 4ND 1TS NOT 3V3N CONV1NC1NG  
DAVE: you are really loud do you know that  
DAVE: like  
DAVE: bullhorn loud  
DAVE: like vuvuzela loud  
DAVE: like a bullhorn crapping out an ungodly rain of vuvuzelas out of its ass over a stadium of screaming people loud  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
TEREZI: 1 DON'T KNOW WH4T 4NY OF THOS3 TH1NGS 4R3  
TEREZI: BUT YOUR BRO S41D TH3 S4M3 TH1NG TO M3 34RL13R TOD4Y  
DAVE: what really  
DAVE: that youre like a bullhorn crapping an ungodly rain of vuvuzelas out of its ass  
DAVE: he said that  
TEREZI: NO  
TEREZI: H3 S41D TH4T 1M LOUD  
TEREZI: ;P  
DAVE: oh  
DAVE: well ok whatever  
DAVE: it doesnt matter  
DAVE: the bottom line is that im out here working on the next sick awesome album im going to make  
DAVE: getting inspiration from the cosmic whatever  
DAVE: rays  
DAVE: its going to be so rad you dont even know  
DAVE: beats are going to be straight up rude  
DAVE: you should probably leave me alone before you break my concentration  
DAVE: lest you rob the world of the precious gems that are about to drop from my lips  
DAVE: also  
DAVE: hes not actually my bro  
DAVE: hes the weird alternate universe copy or something  
TEREZI: :/

He's bound and determined to keep lying to you. But you know the truth anyway. You have not told him this, but you can smell moods even better than you can smell lies.

TEREZI: WHY WOULD YOU B3 WORK1NG ON 4N 4LBUM OUT H3R3?  
TEREZI: YOU H4T3 TH1S ROOM  
DAVE: do i  
DAVE: im glad you told me that so that i know now  
DAVE: thanks for that  
TEREZI: DUR DUUURRRR D4V3  
TEREZI: YOU 4R3 TH3 ON3 TH4T TOLD M3 TH4T  
TEREZI: 1N F4CT YOU TOLD M3 TH4T 4 BUNCH OF T1M3S!  
DAVE: nah  
DAVE: ive had a change of heart about this place  
DAVE: its actually pretty sweet  
DAVE: its relaxing and quiet  
DAVE: the perfect place for a cool guy to go to think and work on beats that are as revolutionary as they are sicknasty  
DAVE: at least it is when its not full of loud troll girls that wont leave me alone  
DAVE: i know you find me irresistibly cool and all  
DAVE: but try not to be so desperate when you hit on me  
DAVE: its embarrassing  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
TEREZI: 1F 1 W3R3 H1TT1NG ON YOU, YOU WOULD KNOW 1T  
TEREZI: ;]


	4. part 4

Your sketch of Dave is complete. You put away the red chalk and lick the traces off of your fingers. Your hand hovers over the box for a few seconds before you settle on a stick of orange chalk for the next part and continue.

TEREZI: 1 THOUGHT YOUR BRO S33M3D COOL  
TEREZI: 1S H3 4 COOLK1D L1K3 YOU D4V3?  
DAVE: yeah thats my bro all right  
DAVE: cool kid to the core  
DAVE: like  
DAVE: ice cold  
DAVE: fuckin polar ice caps up in that shit  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
TEREZI: 1 COULD T3LL  
TEREZI: BUT D4V3  
TEREZI: W3R3NT YOU GL4D TO S33 H1M?  
DAVE: oh yeah  
DAVE: hells of excited for that  
DAVE: ive been all kinds of pissing my pants this whole time in anticipation  
DAVE: just waiting for him to show up out of nowhere and say a bunch of inscrutable shit  
DAVE: like he does  
DAVE: and then ninja off on his own agenda  
DAVE: all while completely ignoring me of course  
DAVE: and leave everyone else basically staring after him like a bunch of drooling idiots  
DAVE: that was pretty much par for the course for him  
DAVE: it takes me right back to basically my entire childhood  
DAVE: now im starting to get all nostalgic and shit  
DAVE: i might even cry im so nostalgic  
DAVE: crystalline waves of salty deliciousness on the sandy beach of my cheeks  
DAVE: or whatever ridiculous thing it is that tears smell like to you  
DAVE: theyre coming  
DAVE: any second now  
TEREZI: :?  
TEREZI: 1 THOUGHT YOU WOULD B3 H4PPY TO S33 H1M  
TEREZI: 1SNT H3 TH3 ON3 TH4T PROT3CT3D YOU WH1L3 YOU W3R3 4N ORPH4N W1GGL3R  
TEREZI: 1 M34N 4N ORPH4N HUM4N B4BY  
DAVE: yeah ok  
DAVE: look  
DAVE: what you have to remember is that this guy kicked my ass every day growing up  
TEREZI: :/  
TEREZI: 1 C4N N3V3R F1GUR3 OUT HOW YOU R34LLY F33L 4BOUT H1M  
TEREZI: YOU CONTR4D1CT YOURS3LF 3V3RY T1M3 TH3 SUBJ3CT COM3S UP  
TEREZI: 1 KNOW YOUR3 4 COOL K1D 4ND 4LL BUT SOM3T1M3S 1 W1SH YOU WOULD 4DM1T TH3 TRUTH FOR JUST 4 S3COND  
DAVE: what can i say  
DAVE: i guess inscrutability runs in the family  
DAVE: we striders are just cool like that  
TEREZI: HUM4N F4M1LY R3L4T1ONSH1PS SUR3 4R3 W31RD

You have finished a picture of Dave and his human bro that is pretty amazing, if you do say so yourself. You put the chalk away and thoughtfully sniff the mixture of strawberry and orange that they make.

TEREZI: W3LL YOU KNOW WH4T  
TEREZI: 1M GL4D 1 GOT TO M33T H1M 3V3N 1F YOU 4R3NT  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
TEREZI: H3 SM3LL3D 4 LOT L1K3 YOU, YOU KNOW  
TEREZI: L1K3 D3L1C1OUS STR4WB3RRY C4NDY  
TEREZI: ;]  
TEREZI: BUT 4LSO SOM3 OR4NG3  
DAVE: yeah  
DAVE: i noticed  
TEREZI: :O  
TEREZI: YOU D1D?  
TEREZI: BUT YOU W3R3 4LL TH3 W4Y 4CROSS TH3 DR34M BUBBL3!  
TEREZI: 4ND 1 D1DNT TH1NK YOUR S3NS3 OF SM3LL W4S TH4T 4CUT3  
DAVE: nah  
DAVE: what i noticed was  
DAVE: that you noticed  
DAVE: it took about zero seconds for your nose to be glued to him  
DAVE: maybe less  
DAVE: but of course that only makes sense  
DAVE: if i smell good then he must smell ten times better  
DAVE: i mean  
DAVE: obviously  
DAVE: it just stands to reason  
DAVE: story of my life  
DAVE: man  
DAVE: if i had a boondollar for every time this shit has happened  
DAVE: then i wouldnt have had to run around in fifty different fucked up timelines to make 413 boonbonds to send to you  
DAVE: i could have just sent my huge fucking backlog of useless currency that i accumulated from all the times in my life my bro showed me up  
DAVE: haha  
DAVE: its good to know that even the end of the universe didnt stop that from happening  
DAVE: i can take a little slice of familiarity with me everywhere i go  
TEREZI: :O


	5. part 5

You have long known that the trick with Dave is to keep him talking. As long as he continues running his mouth, something real is bound to spill out sooner or later. But this one caught you by surprise.

TEREZI: D4V3  
TEREZI: COULD 1T B3  
TEREZI: :O  
TEREZI: TH4T YOUR3 J34LOUS?!  
DAVE: what  
DAVE: no that would be stupid  
TEREZI: H3H3H3!  
TEREZI: YOU 4R3!  
TEREZI: YOU 4R3 TOT4LLY J34LOUS TH4T 1 SN1FF3D YOUR BRO  
TEREZI: H4H4H4H4!  
DAVE: yeah ok sure  
DAVE: youre right its totally eating me up inside  
DAVE: cause sniffing people is in no way a bizarre or fucked up thing to do  
DAVE: and getting sniffed by you is so awesome its basically the highlight of my day  
DAVE: its in no way annoying  
DAVE: i wake up every morning pining to be the object of your freaky red fetish  
DAVE: if i dont get my sniff fix within a few minutes it pretty much destroys me  
DAVE: the whole day ruined  
DAVE: so im definitely heartbroken and in no way relieved that you started smelling someone else  
TEREZI: H4H4H4H4H4H4H4H4!  
TEREZI: D4V3  
TEREZI: 1 H4D TO SN1FF H1M  
TEREZI: HOW COULD 1 R3S1ST?  
TEREZI: H3 SM3LLS L1K3 STR4WB3RRY 4ND CH3RRY 4ND OR4NG3 C4NDY!  
TEREZI: L1K3 TH3 MOST D3L1C1OUS P4RTS OF TH3 R41NBOW!  
TEREZI: 4ND H3 1S YOUR HUM4N BRO  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
TEREZI: H3 R3M1ND3D M3 OF YOU  
TEREZI: ;D  
DAVE: yeah ok whatever  
DAVE: ok this is dumb im out of here  
DAVE: later

Your nose tells you that this is no idle threat. He has gotten to his feet and is walking away from you. You scramble to your hooves and follow.

TEREZI: W41T!  
TEREZI: D4V3!  
TEREZI: DON'T B3 J34LOUS JUST B3C4US3 1 SM3LL3D H1M TOO  
TEREZI: 1T W4S ONLY B3C4US3 H3 R3M1ND3D M3 OF YOU  
TEREZI: ;P  
TEREZI: TH4TS 4LL

Dave stops and rounds on you so abruptly that you almost plow into him. He grabs one of your arms to stop you before you do.

DAVE: look  
DAVE: i don't know if you noticed this with your ultra sensitive nose and all  
DAVE: i mean i can see how it would be an easy detail to miss  
DAVE: but we all do  
DAVE: all humans  
DAVE: every god damn single one of us  
DAVE: we all have red blood  
DAVE: we all smell like delicious strawberry candy  
DAVE: but i dont see you smelling up rose  
DAVE: or any other human for that matter  
DAVE: its pretty much just me  
DAVE: and now him  
TEREZI: :Y  
TEREZI: D4V3 1 DONT TH1NK YOU UND3RST4ND  
TEREZI: NOT 4LL HUM4NS SM3LL L1K3 D3L1C1OUS STR4WB3RRY C4NDY  
TEREZI: 3V3N THOUGH YOU 4LL H4V3 R3D BLOOD  
TEREZI: TH3R3 4R3 OTH3R TH1NGS TH4T COM3 1NTO PL4Y  
TEREZI: FOR 3X4MPL3 ROS3 SM3LLS L1K3 L4V3ND3R FLOW3RS  
TEREZI: 1 M34N SH3 ST1LL H4S R3D BLOOD 4ND 1T ST1LL SM3LLS L1K3 STR4WB3RR13S 4ND 4LL  
TEREZI: BUT 1TS NOT 4 B1G COMPON3NT  
TEREZI: URGH TH1S 1S H4RD TO 3XPL41N  
TEREZI: 1TS L1K3 1TS BUR13D UND3R TH3 FLOW3RY SM3LL  
TEREZI: L1K3 BLOTT3D OUT  
TEREZI: DO3S TH4T M4K3 S3NS3?  
DAVE: wow  
DAVE: i cant believe it you somehow managed to make this even stupider and more pointless  
DAVE: i didnt think that was even possible  
DAVE: now its definitely passed the threshold into the morbidly stupid  
DAVE: like  
DAVE: im losing brain cells by being a part of this conversation  
DAVE: if i keep this up im going to start drooling uncontrollably and need a diaper for when i crap my pants after my brain gives itself a lobotomy in a desperate bid to not be involved in this idiocy  
DAVE: im leaving  
TEREZI: W41T!

He starts walking again and so do you.

TEREZI: BL44444444R!  
TEREZI: COM3 B4CK H3R3!  
DAVE: no way man  
DAVE: ive had enough of this  
DAVE: you can stay here and draw my bro all day if you want  
DAVE: and lick up your stupid chalk or whatever  
DAVE: im sure he would be thrilled to know that hes the subject of an alien girls fantasies  
DAVE: its probably like the one thing hes always been dying for but could never get  
DAVE: cause he didnt know any alien girls  
DAVE: but now he does so problem solved  
DAVE: his life is complete  
DAVE: meanwhile im going to go do something that matters and isnt totally stupid  
TEREZI: W444441T!  
TEREZI: SLOW DOWN!

He's widening his lead in front of you. The Void wind has kicked up again, and his scent is getting fainter by the second. You pick up your pace. You cannot see the way out for yourself.

TEREZI: D444V3!  
TEREZI: QU1T RUNN1NG!

You slow uncertainly as the candy scent of Dave's presence vanishes to almost nothing. You can hear his faint footsteps ahead of you. You know you had better follow him fast. The Void has been known to suck up sound just as well as it sucks up scent, and if you lose Dave, you lose the exit.

You surge forward after him, dashing heedlessly across the formless ground. And then –

Abruptly, your hoof lands on nothing at all. It was a step, and you just ran right off of it. You tumble forward and land flat on your face.

DAVE: shit


	6. part 6

DAVE: shit shit shit

Suddenly he's back. He's grabbing your arm and trying to help you to your feet. You want none of it. You have had just about enough of falling on your face on account of Dave for one day. You give his hand a good wallop with the head of your cane and stand up by yourself.

DAVE: ow god damn  
DAVE: ok i guess i deserved that  
DAVE: are you ok  
TEREZI: UGH!  
TEREZI: 1 C4NT B3L13V3 YOU D4V3  
TEREZI: YOU JUST W4LK3D 4W4Y 4ND L3T TH3 POOR BL1ND G1RL F4LL OFF 4 ST3P?  
TEREZI: WH4T 1S WRONG W1TH YOU!  
DAVE: look i didnt mean for that to happen  
DAVE: i didnt know it would  
TEREZI: OH YOU THOUGHT 1 WOULD M1R4CULOUSLY SM3LL TH4T ST3P COM1NG UP 1N TH3 M1DDL3 OF TH3 VO1D?  
TEREZI: 1S TH4T 1T?  
DAVE: no i didnt  
DAVE: i mean  
DAVE: shit this isnt coming out right  
DAVE: i didnt know it was there  
DAVE: it was a ramp when i went over it  
DAVE: seriously

You smell truth in his claim. You also smell the sharp tang of contrition like a freshly opened bottle of grubsauce. Your annoyance doesn't last. Truthfully, you have worse spills than that pretty routinely.

But you sure aren't about to pass up this golden opportunity to give the cool kid a hard time.

TEREZI: UGH D4V3 1 DONT B3L13V3 YOU  
TEREZI: YOU 4R3 FULL OF HUM4N SH1T  
DAVE: come on now  
DAVE: what happened to being able to smell the truth and all that  
DAVE: i mean i guess i shouldnt have walked off like that since you cant smell very well in this room  
DAVE: but i didnt know the floor would change like that  
TEREZI: D4V3 YOU 4R3 4 STUP1D J3RK  
TEREZI: YOU D1SGUST M3  
TEREZI: 4ND 1 H4T3 YOU  
TEREZI: :[  
DAVE: god damn it  
DAVE: ok look  
DAVE: im sorry ok  
TEREZI: H3H3H3!  
TEREZI: H4H4H4H4!  
TEREZI: D4V3 YOU SHOULD H4V3 SM3LL3D TH3 LOOK ON YOUR F4C3 JUST NOW!  
TEREZI: XD  
DAVE: what  
DAVE: oh  
DAVE: shit  
DAVE: yeah ok youre messing with me  
DAVE: and here i thought you might actually be hurt or something  
DAVE: so yeah  
DAVE: well played i guess  
TEREZI: H3H3H3!  
DAVE: anything else you want to lay on me while youre at it  
DAVE: today seems to be the day to shit all over dave  
DAVE: so you might as well  
DAVE: get it all out of your system at once  
TEREZI: Y3S D4V3 4CTU4LLY TH3R3 1S ON3 MOR3 TH1NG  
DAVE: ok go for it  
DAVE: hit me

You grab a handful of Dave's shirt and lean in. Then you kiss him.

For a few seconds, the whole world is delicious strawberry candy.

Then it ends. You straighten up and release your grip.

TEREZI: TH3R3  
TEREZI: TH4T W4S M3 H1TT1NG ON YOU  
TEREZI: 4ND 1M PR3TTY SUR3 YOU KNOW 1T  
TEREZI: H3H3H3

He doesn't answer. There is just the scent of his mouth hanging wide open as his cheeks turn bright strawberry. Not just his cheeks, but his neck and his shoulders and his chest. Delicious strawberry skin all over the whole top half of him, and his clothes in no way conceal it from your nose.

TEREZI: H3H3H3!  
TEREZI: WH4T 1S 1T D4V3  
TEREZI: WH3R3S YOUR SM4RT4SS R3SPONS3?  
TEREZI: HMMM COOL K1D?  
TEREZI: DONT YOU H4V3 4 S1CK 4W3SOM3 COM3B4CK FOR M3?  
TEREZI: NO?  
TEREZI: NOTH1NG?  
TEREZI: NOTH1NG 4T 4LL?  
TEREZI: :D  
TEREZI: D4V3  
TEREZI: YOUR S1L3NC3 1S D3L1C1OUS  
DAVE: uh  
DAVE: that  
DAVE: ok  
DAVE: yeah ok  
DAVE: that was a pretty good hitting on  
DAVE: ill give you that  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
TEREZI: 1 TOLD YOU SO  
TEREZI: ;]  
DAVE: well  
DAVE: no argument here  
DAVE: arguings pretty much the opposite of what im doing  
DAVE: man  
DAVE: you know what i have a good idea  
DAVE: lets go somewhere thats not here  
TEREZI: OK4Y  
TEREZI: 1 TH1NK TH4T 1S 4 V3RY GOOD 1D34  
DAVE: i mean  
DAVE: this room sucks  
DAVE: im sick as shit of looking at those fuckers in the sky  
DAVE: why did i even come in here  
DAVE: i dont even know  
TEREZI: H3H3H3  
DAVE: lets get out of here and go back to the color room  
DAVE: we can finish that comic we started yesterday  
DAVE: how about that  
TEREZI: Y34H!  
TEREZI: 1T W1LL B3 4W3SOM3 WH3N 1T 1S DON3  
TEREZI: :]  
DAVE: cool  
DAVE: come on

He takes your arm and leads you out of the Void Room. You breathe a sigh of relief when the many scents of Color Room hit your nose. Dave leads you to the section where you left off working last time, and the two of you sit down against one of the walls. The pungent burn of Dave's bad mood is gone, replaced by something much sweeter. This time he doesn't complain when you rest your head on his shoulder and take a nice big whiff.

You are pretty sure that this means things are back to normal. You pull out your chalk, and the two of you pick up exactly where you left off yesterday.


End file.
